Heroic Hair Hype is the last story in my five part series examining men and their relationship with long hair. Red knitted skinny tie by Hugo Boss, blue and white paisley with red stripe pocket square by Bugatchi, blue with white pin dot shirt by Hugo Boss, blue soft blazer/cardigan mix jacket by Armani Collezioni via Harry Rosen. Quadri cutout pin by Alynne Lavigne. Photos by Maxime Bocken. Hair by Cody Alain.
While it seems that men with short hair have been the accepted sexy norm in North America over the last few decades I find it interesting to analyze the Heroic Hair Hype. Loose locks that wave to and fro have been associated with the masculine hero for some time: Chris Hemsworth leaves his audience breathless in Thor, Brad Pitt plays rural heartthrob in Legends of the Fall, Johnny Depp breathes new life into thievery in Prates of the Caribbean and that little book called The Bible shines a light on the massive muscle of Samson (save Delilah), a tale which always had my heart skipping a beat.
For my final instalment in this series of hair stories I wish to conclude by encouraging each man-about-town with a penchant for long locks to flip off your cap, unravel your man bun and suss out a fine toothed comb. Truth be told the most satisfying way to showcase your shoulder length hair is by letting it loose. It wasn’t until this summer that my hair finally reached past my shoulders and couldn’t help but giggle as I sped my bike down University Avenue. A warm breeze whipped up from the lake and my blond locks were sailing like a beach towel hung out to dry. Nothing feels more like freedom than a wild and untamed head of hair.
It has taken me some time to get used to the random strangers that reach out to touch my head. I’m starting to begin to understand what pregnant women feel like when randoms on the subway or streetcar rub their bellies. And while I don’t know if I’ll ever figure out how to walk outside in the wind without a web of hair wrapping around my face, I will say that rolling down my window in the car has now redefined the thrill of the road trip.
Boys with big hair are most associated with Aussie beach bums, an unkept mess. While the look can certainly serve sexy I think the most stunning statement is showcased via high fashion formality. For my final look, I found dapper inspiration where red meets blue. I first sussed out Hugo Boss for a crisp blue shirt and prim red knitted skinny tie which popped perfectly with Bugatchi’s blue and white paisley pocket square with red stripe trim. Alynne Lavigne’s quadri cutout pin offered a bit of bling affixed to the lapel of Armani’s ever-so-soft blue blazer. And as I walked down King Street with my hair poofed up for a parade I couldn’t help but feel a bit of Conan the Barbarian coursing through my dainty limp wrists.
